IN MOSUL, CIVILIANS DESCRIBE THEIR PREPARATIONS FOR A COMING BATTLE

Nineteen-year-old Leyla (not her real name) has not left her home in more than a month. A resident of the Iraqi city of Mosul, she would rather suffer the claustrophobic boredom of remaining indoors than risk venturing out and encountering the fighters of the Islamic State militant group(ISIS). These men, who have ruled Mosul for more than two years, invariably challenge her dress. It’s not appropriate, they say—her eyes are visible.
In recent weeks, the militants have become jumpy. They go from house-to-house searching for hidden cellphones or devices used to access the internet. But despite their best efforts, they cannot cut Mosul off from the outside world. Word has spread among civilians about the imminent Iraqi-led offensive to liberate their city.